“One burger and fries please.” “With one milkshake.” I looked at the menu like I didn’t already know what I wanted. “Make that for two.” I rolled my eyes on recognising the voice. “What do you want?” I scowled at Jack. Since I’d placed my order, I found a very comfortable spot to sit in. The rain outside had just started and it didn’t look like it was letting up soon. Sometimes, it got very hot and other times, it got very cold. We were supposed to be in summer. My birthday was approaching very soon and dreaded everyday that led up to it. “I miss you in class.” “I still attend every class asides that witch’s class. So, what do you really want?” I sighed and dropped my phone, looking him squarely in the eyes. “That’s just one less class where I don’t get to see you.” “Did you know she was GG1’s mum?” His face scrunched up in confusion. “GG1? Who’s GG1?” Then his face lit up in recognition. “Ah… You mean Rami?” He chuckled. “Everyone does. She doesn’t exactly hide it. She uses
His smirk widened and I looked left and right for any semblance of help. “We would be together.” My head snapped to him. “What?” “We’re perfect for each other and if you didn’t have a boyfriend already, I’m pretty sure we’d be together.” “That’s why you think I have a boyfriend?” “Yeah. You seem like the kind of girl to take the lead. You probably would’ve approached me first.” I smacked his arm for; 1. scaring me like that 2. having such a huge ego on him “You really think yourself that great?” He rolled his eyes at me with a little more sass than he should have. “Of course.” “So, why did you ask then?” “I was hoping that maybe, in the span of three seconds, you’d be single…” “because we are a great match?” “Exactly.” He beamed at me as we exited the diner. “You need to get checked in the head.” If it had been any other guy, I would’ve been irritated but Jack just had that natural charm to him that made rubbish sound like gold. I was glad that he handled the entire thing
“Hi.” Aarav waved back. He was over more frequently of recent and I hated that I was in the way of their privacy. What Jared and I had expected was that we’d crack the case in no time and we’d be back to normal, or at least, our own version of normal. However, there was just static. Everyone who’d approached us within the time limit we’d set were all clear of any sort of issues. They either had nothing to do with us or were just really innocent people. It was almost like we’d imagined the threats. Mr Bodyguard still followed me around in the dark and I was yet to see his face. School still sucked like hell and it was a miracle I was able to keep myself from being suspended anytime I saw Rami’s face. She’d done enough to earn that name from my lips. “What the fuck are you looking at?” She bitched when I was looking for Jack. I hadn’t seen him all day and he was the only one I actually talked to in class. I completely ignored her. When Jack finally arrived, I almost tore his head
“You seem to be in a good mood.” I crashed on Aly’s couch.“Yeah?”“You’re glowing. I don’t think I’ve seen you so happy in a while.”“Wait… did you get the D? Are you coming from Jared’s place?” She gasped.“The D? What the fuck are you… You!” I grabbed a pillow and threw it in her face.“No, I did not get the D. I wish though. Something happened in class today.” My grin widened as I remembered the highlight of the day.“What on earth could have happened in class? You always complain about how boring your classes are. Except what happened started with a J and ends with a K.” I folded my arms and gave her a look.“Do you want to hear my story or not?”“Sure, after you confirm that I’m right.” She wiggled her eyebrows.“Fine. It had to do with Jack.” She gave me a knowing smile. It wasn’t like that. I didn’t like him like that. I was just very comfortable around him.By the time I had finished telling her the story, she was on her knees, holding her stomach.“The bitch deserves it. Any
I couldn’t believe my eyes. Why were they both here? Jared and Aarav? “You too? What’s going on?” I stepped back to let them in, the disbelief still evident on my face. The moment Jared came in, he picked me up from the floor and twirled me in his arms. I didn’t know when the sobs started. “Jer!!” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed every part of his face my lips could find. “I missed you so much.” My legs found his waist and enclosed them in a firm grip. “I missed you too.” “We can see that!” I didn’t pay Aarav any mind as I hugged the life out of him. When I was somewhat satisfied, I dropped down from him but I didn’t let him go. With my hand in his, I looked at the room to see Aly smiling her ears off. I wasn’t sure it was because I was smiling or because Aarav was here. It was both. “How…?” “Jared planned it. He was going crazy not seeing you.” He scowled at Aly. “Thank you, Aly for that extra bit of information that was very much needed.” “Jer…” I looked up at
“Hey beautiful.” I opened one eye to peep at Jared who had too wide a smile on his face. I wanted more sleep. How could he smile so brightly when he was the one who drained me of energy.I looked at his lips, the instrument he’d used to break me down into irrecoverable pieces.“I need to sleep.”“I would let you but Aly threatened to come up here and shower you with ice.” I groaned as I sat up. Knowing her, she’d make do on her threat.I picked up my phone and looked at the time.“It’s afternoon.” I gasped. I’d slept far into the day.“I’m sorry.” We should have been spending time together.“I’m fine watching you sleep.” I cracked a smile at that.“Okay Edward…” He always hated the Twilight reference but I liked to think him similar sometimes.I ran out of the bedroom before he caught a hold of me and locked the bathroom door behind me.There was no telling what he’d do if he actually caught me.I quickly brushed my teeth and took a shower. Then I hurried downstairs where the smell of
“You lost!”“I’m well aware. No need to remind me.” I kissed the scowl on Jared’s face as we packed up the scrabble board.I'd beaten him for the fourth time in a row.Everyone had asked me what I wanted to do and I’d decided to just spend the day with them. Like I had said very early on, I had a very terrible coping mechanism. I shoved the later half of what had happened that day to the back of my mind.Call it selfish but for the first time in my life, I really thought I deserved to have a day when I wasn’t overwhelmed by my many problems.“Is that Jordan Gustav?” I covered my mouth with my hands as I sighted the somewhat stern looking man with an imposing height from afar.“You know him?” Aarav asked, his brows rising as he saw me dust off sand from my skin and dress. We were outside enjoying the evening and I was about to get the highlight of my day.“Who doesn’t? The world’s number one culinary master. I watched his shows a lot when I was a kid. I guess... wait...” I looked at A
“You okay?” I faked a smile and nodded as we packed our things into Aly's car.“Look at me.” I didn’t want to. He’d know that I was lying and he’d see the tears in my eyes.Instead, he hugged me and told me it’d all be okay.“I’ll fix this. I promise you.” I balled his shirt in my fist, ruining the straight outlines. He’d mistaken my tears for that of longing. There was that too.He held my jaw and placed a kiss on my lips, a bone-crushing kiss of promise and I held on like my life depended on it until I was forced to leave.He couldn’t return with us because that would mean we were together, at least for the one who bothered to find out.“I’ll see you later.” He placed another kiss on my lips, this time short and accompanied with a kiss on the forehead.I wiped my face and got into the car.“Hey, it’s going to be all right.” I said nothing till we pulled up at Aly’s house. It was one hell of a drive and I just wanted to lay my head down. At least till I figured out a way to tell Jare
Jared and Leah did become friends again but their interests lay somewhere else. They realised they were made for bigger things and they would do that outside the cave they once existed as lovers and even if something were to happen between them, it would take more time than expected for it to happen. Aly, Aarav, Jared, Jack and Leah remained friends but things would change over time. Work, family, life and ambition would force that circle to expand to others too. You may imagine that Leah and Jared ended up together or not. You are the author of that story, a work of fiction is a work of fiction. Author’s Note (I hope this doesn’t come off as offensive): I’ve seen some comments about therapy seeming like a bad thing. Therapy is not weakness, it is an admittance that you need help you may not be able to provide yourself. Mental health issues are not a joke and deserve audience. Some of us have been through traumatic experiences, loss of loved ones, accidents, bullying, harassmen
THIRD PERSON'S POVLeah looked different. There was something about her, like a light that surrounded her and her eyes looked burdenless. Maybe it was the Norway air, but she seemed ... better. Both she and Jared did."Mr Deric?" The secretary had her head cocked to the side, wondering why her guest was awe-struck, standing in the doorway."Sorry." Jared shook his head and walked in. Leah had a smile on her face as she watched him walk in. She recognised that air of confidence that usually surrounded him and couldn't stop watching him.Her attention was called by the men that surrounded her, as she spoke, she seemed to put everyone in a trance. Jared didn't hear a word she said, only observing how comfortable and right at home she felt."I have called this meeting here today because of a different kind of alliance about to be brokered between Norway and the US. Miss Leah Thomas has come as a financial representative of the BridgeStone Foundation, a company spearheaded by the governmen
Jared’s POVLetting Leah go was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do but I did it for her and myself. I was wrong to assume she’d come running back to my arms because I saved her. I smiled wryly to myself.I hadn’t seen her in quite a long while and our paths never crossed again. Aly was beyond pissed that she tried to leave without telling her but she quickly forgave her when she saw her condition. They talked all the time too and that was why I knew what she was up to most of the time.“Do you regret it?” I looked at the lady before me, she was seated behind her desk, peering down at me with curiosity. “What?” I’d zoned out for a minute and didn’t hear her.“Do you regret it? Letting her go.” I inhaled sharply. I’d been coming here for months. When Aarav asked me why I thought I needed a therapist, my reply was ‘who doesn’t?’“Not really. It was her decision but I got to understand much later. It would have been selfish of me to ask her to stay when she needed to go.” I f
I waited for him to clear his bed and offer me a seat before I sat. I shook my head internally. How did it get to this? I asked myself.‘You did it.’ I exhaled loudly and watched him perch himself on his work chair. He turned to me and rose his brows as if to say ‘what did you want to talk about?’ I cleared my throat and rubbed my clammy hands against my gown. I’d resorted to wearing gowns due to the fact that it was less constricting than most and easier to pull off, I just had to undo the zip and let the dress fall to my legs.“Yeah… uhm…” He continued looking at me and I couldn’t bear it anymore, so I found interest in the bedsheet. It was a fine looking colour, regal and plush looking. It felt so soft to touch, almost like you’d sink into it and be enveloped in a word of threads and fabrics.“Leah?” I hitched a breath when I heard his voice. No matter how many years I’d known him, no matter how many times he called me, I’d always feel the fluttering in my stomach whenever my name l
“I injured my spleen, not my legs. I can walk for myself.” I smacked Jack’s hands away from me. “It’s so you don’t try to run away again.” I rolled my eyes at him even though I felt a stabbing pain in my chest.“Pretty sure I can’t move past this house without falling over.” I’d been recuperating for the past week and Jack was coming over once in a while to check on me. Let’s just say he is more overbearing than most, and I thought Jared was worse.Speaking of Jared, he’d been avoiding me. The only reason I was sure he was even around the house was the fact that food and my pills were always made available. The pills I took made me drowsy for most of the day, so I spent most of it sleeping.“Have you seen Jared today?” I asked Jack as I swallowed my pills and washed them down with water.“Nope.” Jack said and turned the T.V on. If I was being honest, I feared speaking to him. No doubt, my accident had changed the dynamics of our relationship and I wasn’t sure if it had become worse o
Most of the time, situations arise, things happen and we are inclined to judge of the situation. It is easier that way because, sometimes, it makes us feel better about ourselves.When the tides turn and we become recipients of judgment, we understand the situation better. It takes a human to realise his mistake, but it takes a humble human to admit it. How many times have we judged a situation wrongly and admitted our error?We’re all guilty of hurting someone, friend, foe, lover… not intentionally but we seek forgiveness. Forgiveness isn’t just feeling sorry, it’s also a way of cleansing our souls, freeing ourselves from the guilt.Jared never told Leah that he forgave her and she couldn’t forgive herself, she couldn't free herself from the guilt.***JARED’S POV “What’s going on?” I asked the doctor who’d just come out of the operating room Leah had been moved to. 14 hours was the longest time I’d had to wait for a report from a doctor and the expression on his face wasn’t looking
I ran my fingers through my hair, walking to and fro like a sojourner who had lost his compass, I’d probably lost mine. The ambulance had arrived shortly after but the Leah was already… I shook my head. ‘No, she can’t be.’ I couldn’t focus on any other thing than the fact that there were many doctors running with Leah’s gurney, one was on top of her, doing chest compressions. The sweat beaded on the doctor’s face told me they’d been doing it since she was in the ambulance.I was slowly losing my mind and Aarav wasn’t here. He was busy trying to sort everything out while I went with Leah. I didn’t want to leave her side, if only I could have followed her into the OR.“She has lost too much blood, especially with the damage to her spleen and hypothermia already seeped in…” I didn’t want to know all the negatives, I didn’t want to know what was wrong.“Can someone tell me, is she going to be okay?” I yelled at the people who had brought Leah in, who seemed to be conversing with a doctor
JARED’S POV“What are you going to do?” I flipped the documents that Leah had sent. I hadn’t had the chance to look at it because I didn’t want to, not initially. Anything involving her work place kind of pissed me off but when I finally did, I could stop the fear that ran through my bones that Leah could be in danger because of it and I needed to act fast.I looked up at Aarav whose facial expression mirrored mine. He too was very conflicted and while he trusted Leah, it would be a big move to change banks, disastrous if it was the wrong move. We had been using Marque and Co. for so long and the previous leadership had proved capable of handling our assets.This new guy, this Ryan Fisher, from the moment I first saw him, I knew something wasn’t right with him. What Leah had sent hadn’t pointed to him as the culprit but with just enough evidence to let us know that something shady was going on and we needed to act fast or we’d lose more than just money.“We should involve the cops.” I
I felt a kick to my head and I groaned, my head feeling like it was split open. I blinked my eyes to get accustomed to the light before trying to sit up, something I found difficult and almost impossible to do.I tried to move my body and realised I was bound hand and feet. This slowly entered my consciousness and my drug-induced haze cleared up, I was face to face with a horrid looking mask and I scrambled backwards, bumping into something that felt horribly cold to my skin, metal.The person in front of me moved back, giving me room to at least breathe.“What the hell is going on?” I looked around to see not one, like I had imagined, but four people, armed with guns. My heart started to beat faster than normal at gauging my situation and my throat felt dry. It was dark outside and I realised I must’ve been asleep for hours.I was going to miss my flight, if I even made it out alive in the first place. No one replied me and I couldn’t even make out anything with the ridiculous outfit